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Topic Review (Newest First)

12-12-2001 09:40 AM

BallastBoy

Renaming a Boat

"Trilogy" was barely visible on the transom after 14 years of serious neglect by previous owner, so I removed the lettering and promised her I''d work like the dickens to clean her up. Then in the Spring, under a beautiful, warm sun, we''ll crack open the bubbly and toast her new name - "RoadWarrior" - among friends and well-wishers.

11-30-2001 03:45 PM

bporter

Renaming a Boat

I''ve also heard that you should allow the boat as much time as possible without the old name to "forget" it before the renaming. Just got a new boat I''m planning on renaming. Figure I''ll get the old name off ASAP, and get the new one on just before launch in the spring.

Immediately after launch we have a Naming Party!

11-28-2001 11:27 AM

Krystal

Renaming a Boat

Use Vigors. Make sure you remove any evidence of the old Name(s). Just like he says. Do it. We had to remove 3 names off our newly purchased 50'' sloop. Then we let her sit around for 2 weeks nameless - shake off any residue if you know what I mean. That wasn''t in the instructions - we just felt that 3 names was alot to shake free of. When we renamed her, we had a party showing off the new name (stern plaquard in our case) with champagne - 1 good bottle for the boat - and 1 for the guests. Or 2. We also attached a silver dolar to the base of the mast as we said a prayer.

Sounds over kill? Why tempt fate ? Or Neptune for that matter?

11-27-2001 07:53 AM

mikehoyt

Renaming a Boat

Article from the net on renaming.

Boat Denaming Ceremony by John Vigor
Due to an overwhelming number of requests for copies of John Vigor''s
Interdenominational Boat Denaming Ceremony, we are rerunning it again. Now,
take care to save this one!

I once knew a man in Florida who told me he''d owned 24 different yachts and
renamed every single one of them. "Did it bring you bad luck?" I asked. "Not
that I''m aware of," he said. "You don''t believe in those old superstitions,
do you?" Well, yes. Matter of fact, I do. And I''m not alone. Actually, it''s
not so much being superstitious as being v-e-r-y careful. It''s an essential
part of good seamanship. Some years ago, when I wanted to change the name of
my newly purchased 31-foot sloop from Our Way to Freelance, I searched for a
formal "denaming ceremony" to wipe the slate clean in preparation for the
renaming. I read all the books, but I couldn''t find one. What I did learn,
though,was that such a ceremony should consist of five parts: an invocation,
an expression of gratitude, a supplication, a re-dedication and a libation.
So I wrote my own short ceremony.

Vigor''s inter-denominational denaming ceremony. It worked perfectly.
Freelance carried me and my family many thousands ofdeep-sea miles both
north and south of the equator, and we enjoyed good luck all the way. I used
the same ceremony recently to change the name of my newly acquired Santana
22 from Zephyr to Tagati, a Zulu word that means "magic," or "bewitched."
We''re hoping she''ll sail like a witch when I finally get her in the water
this summer after an extensive refit. I''ll give you the exact wording of
Vigor''s denaming ceremony, but first you must remove all physical traces of
the boat''s old name. Take the old log book ashore, along with any other
papers that bear the old name. Check for offending books and charts with the
name inscribed. Be ruthless. Sand away the old name from the lifebuoys,
transom, top-side, dinghy, and oars.Yes, sand it away. Painting over is not
good enough. You''re dealing with gods here, you understand, not mere dumb
mortals. If the old name is carved or etched,try to remove it or, at the
very minimum, fill it with putty and then paintover. And don''t place the new
name anywhere on the boat before the denaming ceremony is carried out.
That''s just tempting fate. How you conduct the ceremony depends entirely on
you. If you''re the theatrical type, and enjoy appearing in public in your
yacht club blazer and skipper''s cap, you can read it with flair on the
foredeck before a gathering of distinguished guests. But if you find this
whole business faintly silly and embarrassing, and only go along with it
because you''re scared to death of what might happen if you don''t, you can
skulk down below and mumble it onyour own. That''s perfectly okay. The main
thing is that you carry it out.The words must be spoken. I compromised by
sitting in Tagati''s cockpit with the written-out ceremony folded into a
newspaper, so that any passerby would think I was just reading the news to
my wife, sitting opposite. Enough people think I''m nuts already. Even my
wife has doubts. The last part of the ceremony, the libation, must be
performed at the bow, just as it is in a naming ceremony. There are two
things to watch out for here. Don''t use cheap-cheap champagne, and don''t try
to keep any for yourself. Buy a second bottle if you want some. Use a brew
that''s reasonably expensive, based on your ability to pay, and pour the
whole lot on the boat. One of the things the gods of the sea despise most is
meanness, so don''t try to do this bit on the cheap. What sort of time period
should elapse between this denaming ceremony and a new naming ceremony?
There''s no fixed time. You can do the renaming right after the denaming, if
you want, but I personally would prefer to wait at least 24 hours to give
any lingering demons a chance to clear out.(Scroll down for the wording of
the ceremony.) Afterwards Now you can pop the cork, shake the bottle and
spray the whole of the contents on the bow. When that''s done, you can
quietly go below and enjoy the other bottle yourself. Incidentally, I had
word from a friend last month that the Florida yachtsman I mentioned earlier
had lost his latest boat, a 22-foot trailer-sailer. Sailed her into an
overhead power line. Fried her. She burned to the waterline. Bad luck? Not
exactly. He and his crew escaped unhurt.He was just very careless. He
renamed her, as usual, without bothering to perform Vigor''s famous
interdenominational denaming ceremony. And this time, at long last, he got
what he deserved.

Vigor''s Denaming Ceremony
"In the name of all who have sailed aboard this ship in the past,and in the
name of all who may sail aboard her in the future, we invoke the ancient
gods of the wind and the sea to favor us with their blessing today. "Mighty
Neptune, king of all that moves in or on the waves; and mighty Aeolus
(pronounced EE-oh-lus), guardian of the winds and all that blows before
them: "We offer you our thanks for the protection you have afforded this
vessel in the past. We voice our gratitude that she has always found shelter
from tempest and storm and enjoyed safe passage to port. "Now, wherefore, we
submit this supplication, that the name whereby this vessel has hitherto
been known (_____), be struck and removed from your records. "Further, we
ask that when she is again presented for blessing with another name, she
shall be recognized and shall be accorded once again the self same
privileges she previously enjoyed. "In return for which, we rededicate this
vessel to your domain infull knowledge that she shall be subject as always
to the immutable laws of the gods of the wind and the sea. "In consequence
whereof, and in good faith, we seal this pact with a libation offered
according to the hallowed ritual of the sea."

After a boat is denamed, you simply need to rename it using the traditional
christening ceremony, preferably with Queen Elizabeth breaking a bottle of
champagne on the bow, and saying the words: "I name this ship ___________
and may she bring fair winds and good fortune to all who sail on her."

John Vigor, an Oak Harbor resident, is a boating writer and editor. He is
the author of The Practical Mariner''s Book of Knowledge (International
Marine) and Danger, Dolphins, and Ginger Beer (Simon and Schuster) a sailing
adventure novel for 8 to 12 year-olds.

11-26-2001 09:05 AM

gaurre3

Renaming a Boat

i''ve always heard, not to rename a boat while it''s in the water.

11-22-2001 03:43 AM

paulk

Renaming a Boat

Dear Stressed:
It is obvious that the boat''s current name is attracting bad vibes. (Stew, etc.) Since dead men tell no tales, there''s no way of knowing from the previous owner how many rocks he''s hit, torn sails, spinnaker snarls, etc., that have all been due to the "Magic Stew" name, which he probably changed to WITHOUT the requisite formalities (see above thread...). Change the name ASAP (This weekend might be propitious) following the correct procedure, and see what happens.

11-21-2001 10:29 AM

Denr

Renaming a Boat

This is a silly urban legend...........ouch a panel just fell out of the ceiling in my office and struck me.

11-21-2001 09:25 AM

2Bfree

Renaming a Boat

I''m starting to believe there is bad luck in renaming a boat, even if you didn''t rename it perhaps the bad luck is passed on. I''ve recently purchased a boat the the owner renamed. The original name being Magic Stew, I bought the boat after receiving permission to take a 6 month leave of absence. After purchasing the boat I came back to work AND a new manager that refuses to give me the leave. His name - Stew. And perhaps I should mention that the previous owner died, one week after selling the boat. Shall I try the renaming ceremony or just change the name back to Magic Stew?
Signed,
...stressed...

06-22-2001 01:16 PM

BigRed56

Renaming a Boat

Ahoy Velvet, I have on two occasions now bought derelict vessels and after complete rebuilds I have launched and sailed without any formal name or ceremony. Though I survived certian death on more occasions than I care to remember and ran afoul of bad weather constantly and am now laid up in a full body cast from spinal fusion surgery and can only look out the window at my vessels I reccomend you not follow my foolhearty indifference to tradition lest yee be me one day. Big Red 56

06-19-2001 07:44 PM

mpal

Renaming a Boat

Velvet: There is a really fun article about renaming and it includes a ritual complete with proper language to please King Neptune and all his denizens. You can find it in the archives of Good Old Boat magazine which is accessible online.

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